Claea t



(No Model.) f .J. O. BIOKPORD 88 W. I. STET-SON.

G. T. STETSON, Administratrix of W. I. STETSON, deceased.

.No. 388,618. LAST Patented Aug. 2 1888.

Jam/ afjiayonz,

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

JOHN G. BIOKFORD AND WVARREN I. STETSON, OF BERLlN, MASSACHUSETTS; CLARAT. STETSON ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID WARREN I. STETSON;

DECEASED.

A LAST.

ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,618, dated August28, 1888.

Application filed May 28, 1886. Serial No. 203.515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN C. BICKFORD and WARREN I. STE'rsoN, both ofBerlin, county of Worcester, and State of Massachusctts, have inventedan Improvement in Lasts,

of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts. This invention has for its object to provide. improved meansfor fastening the blocks of lasts formed by a curved cut therein, asrepresented in United States Letters Patent No. 173,426, dated February15, 1876, wherein the block is severed from the body of the last by acurved out, especially at the point where the lower end of the blockmeets the top of the last, the object of the said curved out being toavoid a shoulder such as commonly found in lasts prior to the date ofthe invention de scribed in said patent.

The block of the last herein to be described is provided near its upperend with a shoulder or projection to be engaged by alatch con 2 5 nectedwith the body of the last, the lower end of the block having a pin orprojection to cooperate with a shoulder formed by cutting into the bodyofthe last below the block, the body of the last having a groove with aninclined 0 bottom which leads into the said shoulder, the latter servingas a slot for the pin connected with the block of the last.

The upper end of the block is also provided with a bar or eye, behind orinto which may 5 be readily passed the bent end of the last-hook whenthelatch is to be disengaged from the shoulder or projection of theblock in order to remove the block from the last, the lasthook duringsuch operation engaging the bar or eye connected with the block andholding onto the same while the block is being removed, which is amatter of very great convenience and saves time over that required toinsert the last-hook into an eye bored through 5 the block from side toside, as usual.

Figure 1 in side elevation partially broken out shows a last embodyingour invention. Fig. 2 in full lines shows the last and block in verticalsection, the dotted lines showing the block as being removed,the saidfigure also showing a part of the last-hook with its end inserted intothe eye of the block; and Fig. 3 shows detached from the block the metal.plate, which is herein shown as constituting the shoulder or projectionand the bar or eye.

The body A of the last is and maybe of any usual shape and material. Theblock B is separated from the body of the last by a curved saw-cut,(represented by a,)asin thesaidpatent. The particular curvature of thesaw'cut and its length are immaterial, so long as an abrupt or squareshoulder is not formed at the junction of the lower end of the blockwith the body of the last. The body of the last, after severing from itthe block B, is bored, as at a, to form ashoulder, a, one side of thehole made by boring the last, as ata, being thereafter cut away, as ata, leaving a groove with an inclined bottom leading into the bore a. Theblock Bis provided with a pin, I), the lower end of which, as the blockis being inserted into working position,passes down the inclined bottoma of the groove and comes to a bearing against the shoulder a". The bodyof the last is provided with a spring-supported latch, 7 0, located in abore, 0, thereof, the head ofthe latch having a beveled upper end andbelow it a hoolelike projection. The upper end of the block B of thelast has attached to it a metal plate, I), shaped to constitute ashoulder 50 or projection, b and leave a bar, b, the said hook orprojection being engaged by the latch when the block is in workingposition, the latch at such time occupying the dotted-line positionshown for it in Fig. 2, and the fullline position, Fig. 1, it thenengaging the said shoulder or projection b Referring to Fig. 3, wherethe plate I) is shown separately, it will be noticed that the said platehas an eye made in it,leaving a bar,b"'.

When the last is to be removed, from a boot or shoe, the workman willplace the end 2 of the last-hook d into an eye at the upper end of theblock and down behind the bar b,forming part of the said eye, until theend of the 5 last-hook meets the inclined end of the latch, andthereafter pressure of the hook against the last will force the latchback, as shown in full lines, Fig. 2, thus disengaging it from theshoulder or projection b and thereafter by a slight further movement ofthe last-hook, its end 2 catches under the bar b enabling the last-hookto take firm hold of the block in order that the same may be withdrawnfrom the boot or shoe, the last-hook holding the block, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2.

We have herein shown theprojection b" and the bar I) as forming part ofa metal plate; but it is obvious that the upper end of the block mightbe partially bored, and then cut out to leave a shoulder or projection,[2 and a bar-like portion, b but the metal plate is preferred, becauseof its greater strength and cheapness. A metal pin driven through theblock of the last from side to side, and occupying the position occupiedby the bar b would, in ourjudgment, he an equivalent for the said bar.After the shoe has been lasted, the last is withdrawn to enable the soleand upper to be united upon a sol'e'sewing or naildriving machine, andthereafter the shoe is rclasted, and to enable thesame last to be usedfor relasting we have attached the pin to the block rather than to thebody of the last, as has heretofore been done. By providing the blockwith the pin we are enabled to dispense with a great number of lasts.

We claim- 1. The body of the last provided with a shoulder, a and alatch, combined with the block having a pin or stud at its under side ator near its lower end to co-operate with the said shoulder, and at itsupper end a shoulder or projection, 6 to be engaged by the said latch,substantially as described.

2. The body of the last and its attached latch having a beveled upperend, combined with the block of the last provided at its upper end witha shoulder or projection, b, and a bar, b substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. The body of the last provided with the spring-latch c, fixed therein,and the block B. separated from the body ofthe last by a curved cut, asa, combined with'a pin, b, at or near the lower end of the block, andthe plate I) at or near the upper end ofthe block, and the latch c,engaging the said block, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN o. BIOKFORD. WARREN I. STETSON.

Witnesses:

ERASTUS BURLINGHAM, ZOHETH B. WooDBURY.

